Independent bookseller Bookshop.org is making headlines with a cheeky jab at Amazon’s founder, Jeff Bezos, timed to coincide with the start of Amazon’s immensely popular Prime Day sale. Known for annually countering Amazon’s discount frenzy, Bookshop.org uses efforts like this to encourage consumers away from retail giants and toward supporting smaller, independently owned bookstores.
This year, Bookshop.org turned heads by taking direct aim at Bezos’ recent extravagant wedding celebration in Venice, Italy—a lavish three-day event reportedly costing around $50 million. The gathering attracted substantial criticism from local Venetians, activists, and observers, who condemned it for exacerbating overtourism and environmental impacts already straining the iconic city.
The sharpest part of Bookshop.org’s critique targeted the surprisingly amateurish graphic design of Bezos’ wedding invitations. Images obtained by ABC News quickly spread onto social media channels, with users noting the oddly simplistic design choices, joking that it might have been assembled using basic tools like Microsoft Word clip art or a free Canva template.
Seizing upon this viral public reaction, Bookshop.org crafted a clever mock invitation to their own “Anti-Prime Sale,” featuring playful messaging directed squarely at Bezos and Amazon. Their promo enticed customers with the promise of free shipping and a comforting reminder that every dollar spent would bolster local independent bookstores rather than billionaire entrepreneurs.
In boldly ridiculing Amazon’s founder at the height of the online retail giant’s signature annual sales event, Bookshop.org once again managed to capture attention and highlight its ongoing push against the dominance of big tech corporations—albeit with humor and good-natured irreverence.
